Mechanism for holding a cane upright

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are described for holding a cane upright when the cane is not in use, the mechanism enclosed in a housing that can be fitted inside or attached onto a cane and providing a button that, when operated, releases a pair of props that spring out and spread apart so that rubber surfaces on the props will enable the cane to lean against a vertical surface, such as a wall, or hang from a horizontal surface, such as a table, the props subsequently able to be closed together and tucked into the housing where the same button that released them also latches them inside the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/744,360, riled Sep. 26, 2012, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein,

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application generally relates to a method and apparatus that provides retractable props that hold a cane upright when it is not in use

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to canes and the problem of what to de with them when they are not in use. A cane is an elongate, asymmetrical, and top-heavy tool that is very helpful when its user is walking, but the cane becomes a problem when the user sits down or otherwise stops using the cane because something then must be done with the unused cane. Frequently the cane's user will lean the cane against a wall or table in the hope that it will stay in place and be easy to grab when it is needed, but the elongate asymmetrical top-heavy cane often slides to the floor, which is very troublesome, because it forces the cane's user, whose mobility is already limited, to bend down to retrieve the cane from the floor.

The present invention seeks to solve the problem of canes falling to the floor by providing a mechanism for a cane having a pair of retractable props that pop out when a button is operated, the props having rubber surfaces at their tips and along their undersides that, respectively, allow the props to either grip a vertical surface, such as a wall, or a horizontal surface, such as a table top, and enable the cane to, respectively, lean against the vertical surface or hang from the horizontal surface.

The present invention allows a cane to prop up against a wall or hang from a table and uses spring-operated retractable elongate props that project from the cane, and it is novel, although the prior art reveals examples of patents and products that share certain of the characteristics of the present invention. Examples in the prior art that allow a cane to prop up against a wall or hang from a table are the currently marketed Cane Stay, seen at canestay.com, and U.S. Pat. No, 4,704,743. And, examples having retractable elongate propping members that project from the cane and connect to the floor to prop up the cane are U.S. Design Patent No. D531,S99, a German design seen at www.dikato.de/d1/prospekt.pdf, and patent application number PCT/FI1998/000189, entitled “Walking aid”, which was filed Mar. 3, 1998, and was published Sep. 11, 1998, with publication number WO1998038883A1. And, examples that use elongate members and retractable members and springs in various ways to clamp onto a table are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,418, 4,300,742, 4,895,330, and 5,573,025, as well as U.S. Patent Application No, 11/805,880, Publication number 20080053501.

SUMMARY

More particularly, the present invention provides a mechanism for holding a cane upright that is contained in an elongate rectangular housing that can be fitted into or connected onto a cane, the mechanism having a pair of props that are connected to a U-shaped pivoting connector that allows the props to pivot between an outward-projecting position and a retracted position in which the props are retracted into the housing, with there being springs that bias the props to project outward and spread apart and a release button that can normally retain the props in the retracted position but which can be operated to allow the spring to pivot the props outward. Fitted into the underside of each prop is a rubber strip that extends below and out the tip of the prop so that the pair of props are able to grip a vertical surface or horizontal surface, thus enabling the cane, respectively, to lean against a vertical surface, such as a wall, or hang from a horizontal surface, such as a table.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cane with the props projecting outward and the cane propped up against a wall.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a cane with the props projecting outward and the cane hanging from a table.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevated side cross-sectional view of a cane equipped with a mechanism for holding the cane upright, with the props in the retracted position.

FIG. 4 is a view of FIG. 3 taken along line 4-4.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the props projecting outward.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a prop.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the pivoting connector that connects the props together.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the prop spring.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing truncated props connected to the pivoting connector with the props in the spread-apart position.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the prop spring fitted inside the pivoting connector and between the props.

FIG. 11 is a view similar FIG. 10 showing the props in the closed-together position.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cane in which the housing is connected with clips to the exterior of the cane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts, and referring initially to FIG. 1 through FIG. 11, a mechanism for holding a cane upright according to the present invention.

A mechanism 10 for holding a cane upright can be fitted inside a cane C and has a pair of props 11, with each prop 11 having fitted into its underside a rubber strip 17, the rubber strip 17 extending out the end of and below the prop 11 (see FIG. 6) so that the pair of props 11, respectively, can grip a vertical surface, such as a wall W, or a horizontal surface, such as a table T (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

One end of each prop 11 is connected by a hinge 16 to one end of a U-shaped pivoting connector 12 (see FIGS. 7 through 11), the sides of the U-shaped pivoting connector 12 having pin apertures 19 through which a connector pin 14 passes to pivotably connect the U-shaped pivoting connector 12 to an elongate rectangular housing 13, the housing 13 being secured by screws 15 in a recess in the cane 10. The props 11 are able to pivot on the hinges 16 between a closed-together position in which the props 11 can abut upon each other and a spread-apart position, with there being a strip-type prop spring 18 that is shaped to fit inside the U-shaped pivoting connector 12 and between the hinges 16 and props 11 so that it abuts upon the props 11 and biases the props 11 into the spread-apart position. The U-shaped pivoting connector 12, from which the props 11 extend, is pivotable on the connector pin 14 in the housing 13 such that the U-shaped pivoting connector 12, and the props 11 that extend from it, can project outward from and perpendicularly to the housing 13, the outward projecting props 11 able to be spread apart by the prop spring 16, and, when the props 11 are closed together the props 11, and the U-shaped pivoting connector 12 from which they extend, can be pivoted and tucked into the housing 13.

Connected between the U-shaped pivoting connector 12 and the housing 13 is a coil-type pivoting connector spring 20 that connects to a pivoting connector hook 21 on the U-shaped pivoting connector 12 and a housing hook 22 on the housing 13, the pivoting connector spring 20 able to bias the U-shaped pivoting connector 12, and the props 11 that extend from it, into the outward-projecting position, but the U-shaped pivoting connector 12, and the props 11 that extend from it, are normally maintained in the retracted position by a release lever 23 in the housing 13, there being a strip-type release lever spring 24 connected between the housing 13 and the release lever 23 that biases the release lever 23 to abut upon and latch onto the connector hook 21, thereby preventing the U-shaped pivoting connector 12, and the props 11 that extend from it, from projecting outward.

When the release lever 23 is operated it moves out of abutment with the connector hook 21 on the U-shaped pivoting connector 12, and when this happens the pivoting connector spring 20 biases the U-shaped pivoting connector 12, and the props 11 that extend from it, into the outward-projecting position whereupon the prop spring 18 biases the props 11 into the spread-apart position, with there being a cross member 25 on the housing 13 that stops the spring-operated movement of the U-shaped pivoting connector 12, and the props 11 that extend from it, so that the props 11 extend perpendicularly from the cane C, thus enabling the cane 10 to prop up against a vertical surface, such as a wall W, or hang from a horizontal surface, such as a table T (see FIGS. 1 and 2). When the cane 10 is needed for use, the props 11 can be closed together, and the props 11, and the U-shaped pivoting connector 12 from which they extend, can then be tucked into the housing 13, whereupon the release lever 23 can again abut upon and latch onto the connector hook 21 to maintain the U-shaped pivoting connector 12, and the props 11 that extend from it, in the retracted position.

In the second configuration shown in FIG. 12 the screws 15 are replaced by clips 25 that clamp onto the cane C and enable the mechanism 10 to be fitted onto and removed from the outside of a cane C.

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A mechanism for holding a cane upright comprised of: a) a frame, said frame elongate and having connected thereto components of the mechanism and able to connect said components to a cane; b) propping means, said propping means pivot ably connected to said frame and pivotable between a retracted position in which said propping means are in said frame and an outward projecting position in which said propping means project outward from said frame, said propping means including hinged elongate members that when projecting outward are able to spread apart, said spread apart elongate members being on a plane that is approximately perpendicular to said frame, and when spread apart said elongate members subsequently able to be closed together such that said propping means can be retracted into said frame; c) resilient means, said resilient means biasing said propping means into said outward-projecting position and biasing said elongate members into said spread-apart position; and, d) retaining means, said retaining means able to retain said propping means in said retracted position and said retaining means able to be operated to release said propping means to project outward.
 2. A mechanism for holding a cane upright as defined in claim 1, said resilient means including resilient means connected between said frame and said propping means and said resilient means including resilient means between said elongate members.
 3. A mechanism for holding a cane upright as defined in claim 1, said retaining means being latching means that can engage said propping means when said propping means in said retracted position, and that can disengage from said propping means to allow said propping means to project outward, 